This morning, HardballTalk.com’s Craig Calcaterra wrote this about Rays closer Grant Balfour:
Grant Balfour has been pretty atrocious this season. He has a 6.46 ERA, a 1.65 WHIP, and 21/20 K/BB ratio in 23 and two-thirds innings. Yesterday he came in to a 0-0 game in the ninth inning and surrendered five runs on four hits and walked two. Yet, he remains the Rays’ closer. For now.
Not anymore. According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays manager Joe Maddon is removing Balfour from the ninth inning.
#Rays Maddon said today they will now go by a closer-by-committee. Wants to get Balfour's confidence back
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) June 9, 2014
#Rays Maddon will go by matchups in ninth inning in closing situations.
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) June 9, 2014
So yeah, maybe the Ubaldo Jimenez contract has been terrible so far, but at least the Orioles were right about passing on Balfour.
Image Credit: Keith Allison
